The Checkered Life of Erik Cantrell

Chapter Thirteen: Security Has Been Breached

A chill went down Erik's spine. He was out most of this evening well into the wee hours, which wasn't unusual for him. Tonight something felt off. First there was a tiered cake left on the foyer floor. He took a moment to check the main level. Formal livingroom, diningroom, kitchen, office, bathroom. He was alone. But still he suffered another round of chills. Then he climbed the stairs to the second floor. In looking around for his family, he found Kayleigh was just putting Jamison to bed for the night. In the dimness, Erik saw a glowing plate of Ambrosia, a telltale sign one or both of his Obsessed Fans had been inside of his house. Erik began to shake. It was one thing to have them continually hanging around his residence along with his very own STAN, but to think they had somehow hacked their way into his Inner Sanctum was greatly disturbing. Not for him, but for his wife and four small children. Kayleigh had recently given birth to their second son, and fourth child, Andrew.

He kept the two outside gates locked. The mechanism was such the sensor could detect he and Kayleigh and let them in, much like the door sensors on a starship. Immediately Erik checked the gates to find one of them unlocked. Who or why was it unlocked and for how long?
Maybe, he thought, the gate was left unlocked when they invited family over to meet little Andrew.

Erik sat down next to Kayleigh. "Honey, I don't want to alarm you, considering I do most of my business in the early hours, leaving you and the kids alone for several hours, but I'm going to have the technician set the front and back doors to allow the kids to come in and go out as they do now. Beyond the gates, I want both doors to remain locked at all times."
"Is this about the Ambrosia and the tiered cakes you found?" she gazed up at him concerned. Erik kept her hand tightly in his.
"Yes, I only know of two Sims who do that. If it isn't of their doing, then I may have to hire security guards."
"Erik, I really don't think either of them would try to hurt us. Are you sure you're not overreacting, just a bit? They've always been so nice. Even at Wyvern Hall they made messes and one tried his best to hit on you, but neither of them ever hurt anyone."

Erik sat back on the settee a little and sighed. "The truth of the matter is, I lost my temper at them the other day. I know, I know. But they were making a mess on the backside of our fence. Bad enough they leave trash piles, plates of Ambrosia and sometimes half-eaten cakes on the ground everywhere out front, I just don't need it out back as well."

His children were often out in the backyard. Innocently playing on their Toddler Gym, or Jamison talked to the plant in Erik's garden. Erik found the tyke's rather animated conversations with the sage bush quite amusing, in fact. Lately, Melody had noticed the chickens. She had taken a shine to them and could be found inside the chicken yard, hugging them upon occasion. So far, Erik thought, the chickens didn't appear to mind. Would that was my only concern.

Erik just needed to be able to go about his life without fear. Up until now he hadn't felt intimidated by his Fans, now he was unsure whom he could trust. He could 'what if' himself to death, but he preferred not to do so. He would have security cameras set up both outside and inside the house for added security and pray that he would gain some solace with that. And in time, he could come and go at will. For now, he just wanted to hold his family tight, lest he lose them.